their sitting. Thereupon Colonel Ingoldsby went back to Cromwell, and told him what the House was doing, who was so enraged thereat, (expecting that they should have meddled with no other business, but putting a period to their own sitting without more delay,) that he presently commanded some of the officers to fetch a party of soldiers, with whom he marched to the House, and led a file of musquetiers in with him; the rest he placed at the door of the House, and in the Lobby before it."+

Having sat down, and heard the debate for some time,' he "addressed his speech to the Chief Justice, St. John, telling him, that he was come to do that which grieved him to the very soul, and that he had earnestly, with tears, prayed to God against. Nay, that he had rather be torn in pieces than do it; but that there was a necessity laid upon him therein, in order to the glory of God, and the good of the Nation.' Whereunto St. John answered, that he knew not what he meant; but did pray that what it was which must be done, might have a happy issue for the general good." Then Cromwell, "calling to Major General Harrison, who was on the other side of the House, to come to him, he told him, that he judged the Parliament ripe for a Dissolution, and this to be the time of doing it.' The Major Gene

Ludlow says, that the House were then passing the Act for their

own Dissolution. Mem. p. 173.

ral

+ Whitelocke, p. 529. Bate says, 'he ordered ten or twelve soldiers to follow him, and stay for him at the door; he himself, accompanied only by Fleetwood, entering in,' p. 161. Dugdale also states, that he was accompanied by Fleetwood, his great confident.' Short View, p. 405; yet these authors must be inaccurate, as Fleetwood was then in Ireland.

Ludlow, p. 173. Dugdale says, that he spoke to St. John, without moving his hat, or going to any seat.' Short View, p. 405; yet this cannot be the fact, if what Ludlow states concerning the discourse with Harrison be true.

§ Dug. Short View, p. 405.

ral answered, as he since told me, Sir, the work is very great and dangerous, therefore I desire you seriously to consider of it before you engage in it. You say well,' replied the General; and thereupon sat still for about a quarter of an hour; and then the question for passing the Bill being to be put, he said again to Major General Harrison, this is the time I must do it ;' and suddenly standing up," "turning towards the Speaker, told him,† 'you have sufficiently imposed upon the people, and provided for yourselves and relations; you have long cheated the country by your sitting here, under pretext of settling the Commonwealth, reforming the laws, and procuring the common good; whilst, in the mean time, you have only invaded the wealth of the State, screwed yourselves and relations into all places of honor and pro fit, to feed your own luxury and impiety." Which being said, he gave a stamp with his foot,'§ as a signal for the soldiers without; and, "in a furious manner, bid the Speaker leave the chair,'¶ and said to the House," for shame, get ye gone; give place to honester men, and those that will more faithfully discharge their trust."** He "told them, that the Lord had done with them, and had chosen other instruments for the carrying on his work that were more worthy.'t

6

66

"Some of the Members rose up to answer Cromwell's speech; but he would suffer none to speak but himself;" yet one had the boldness to tell him, It ill suits your Excellencie's Justice, to brand us all promiscuously, and in general, without the proof of a crime." This was probably "Sir Peter Wentworth, who stood up to answer him, and said, this was the first time he ever had heard such unbecoming language given to the Parliament; and that it was the more horrid in that it came from their servant, and Ee 3 *

+Dugdale, p. 405.

their

*Ludlow, p. 173,-4.

Bate, p. 161.

Whitelock, p. 529.

** Bate, Ibid.

tt Ludlow, p. 174.

‡‡ Whitelocke, Ibid.

$$ Bate, Ibid.

their servant whom they had so highly trusted and obliged :' but as he was going on, the General stept into the midst of the House, where, continuing his distracted language, he said, 'Come, come, I will put an end to your prating: you are no Parliament; I say you are no Parliament: I will put an end to your sitting; call them in, call them in.' Whereupon the Serjeant attending the Parliament opened the doors, and Lieutenant Colonel Worsley, with two files of musquetiers, entered the House; which Sir Henry Vane observing from his place, said aloud, This is not honest; yea, it is against morality and common honesty.' Then Cromwell fell a railing at him, crying out with a loud voice, 'O Sir Henry Vane, Sir Henry Vane, the Lord deliver me from Sir Henry Vane;" and taking him in wrath by his cloak, said, thou art a juggling fellow.' Then he told Allen, the goldsmith, (and Alderman,) that he had enricht himself by cousening the State, for which he should be called to account,' and in a rage committed him to the custody of one of the musquetiers.'§ He next "commanded those of his guard, who at the signal of the stamp were entered the door, immediately to turn them out of the House;" and as "they went out of the House, he pointed at Sir Harry Martin, and Tom Challoner, and said, 'Is it fit that such fellows as these should sit to govern? men of vicious lives; the one a noted whoremaster, the other a drunkard?' Nay, he boldly upbraided them all with selling the Cavaliers estates by bundles; and said, they had kept no faith with them."¶

66

Having brought all into this disorder, Major General Har rison went to the Speaker as he sat in the chair, and told him, that, seeing things were reduced to this pass, it would not be convenient for him to remain there.' The Speaker answered, that 'he would not come down unless he were forced.'

'Sir,' said

Harrison, I will lend you my hand;' and thereupon, putting his hand within his, the Speaker came down. Then Cromwell, applying himself to the Members of the House, who were in number between eighty and a hundred, said to them, It is you that have

forced

* Ludlow, p. 174. § Ludlow, Ibid.

+Dugdale, p. 405.
Dugdale, Ibid,

+ Ibid.

Ibid.

forced me to this; for I have sought the Lord night and day, that he would rather slay me, than put me upon the doing of this work.' Then he bid one of the soldiers to Take away that Fool's bauble,' the Mace ;* and stayed himself to see all the Members out of the House, himself the last of them, and then caused the doors of the House to be shut up."t

"Among all the Parliament men," says Whitelocke, "of whom many wore swords, and would sometimes brag high, not one man offered to draw his sword against Cromwell, or to make the least resistance against him; but all of them tamely departed the House and thus it pleased God, that this assembly, famous through the world for its undertakings, actions, and successes, having subdued all their enemies, were themselves overthrown and ruined by their servants; and those whom they had raised, now pulled down their masters. An example never to be forgotten, and scarce to be paralleled in any story, by which all persons may be instructed how uncertain, and subject to change, all worldly affairs are; how apt to fall when we think them highest; how God makes use of strange and unexpected means to bring his

purposes to pass." That the Dissolution, however, was fully acceptable to the nation, was quickly evinced by the numerous addresses that were sent up to Cromwell from all parts of the country.§

After this extraordinary transaction, which till our own times remained without a parallel,|| Cromwell felt that his work was still incomplete, whilst the Council of State was suffered to continue in authority. On the same day, therefore, he entered the Council Chamber,

Ee 4*

* Clarendon says, he gave the Mace to an officer to be safely kept.'

This is said to have been the origin of the practice of addressing, which has since been common in every reign.

When Bonaparte put an end to the sitting of the Council of Five Hundred, he certainly took Cromwell for his model, and his purpose was the same; that is, to usurp the Sovereignty of his country.

Chamber, and, in despite of the opposition of 'honest Bradshaw, the President,' brake up the meeting.*

On the twenty-second of April, "Cromwell, and his Council of Officers, set forth a Declaration' of the grounds and reasons for their dissolving of the late Parliament; and that all civil officers do proceed as formerly in the execution of their offices, and all persons to give obedience to them."†

6

After considerable deliberation as to what was the best mode of settling the State,' it was resolved by Cromwell and his officers, that select persons should be nominated by themselves out of every county, who should be a Representative of the whole nation.' The writs that were issued, run in Cromwell's own name;‡ and on the fourth of July, most of the persons summoned met in the Council Chamber at Whitehall, where Cromwell "produced an Instrument

For more particulars, see the memoir of Bradshaw given in Beauties, Vol. II. p. 264–7.

+ Whitelocke's Mem. p. 530.

The form of the writ was as follows: For as much as upon the Dissolution of the late Parliament, it became necessary that the peace, safety and good government of this Commonwealth, should be provided for; and in order thereunto, divers Persons fearing God, and of approved fidelity and honesty, are by myself, with the advice of my Coun cil of Officers, nominated, to whom the great charge and trust of so weighty affairs is to be committed. And having good assurance of your love to, and courage for, God; and the interest of this cause, and of the good people of this Commonwealth: I, OLIVER CROMWELL, Captain General, and Commander in Chief, of all the armies and forces raised, and to be raised, within this Commonwealth, do hereby summon and require you, being one of the persons nominated, personally to appear at the Council Chamber at Whitehall, within the City of Westminster, upon the 4th day of July next ensuing the date hereof, then and there to take upon you the said trust, unto which you are hereby called, and appointed to serve as a Member of the county of And hereof you are not to fail.

Given under my hand and seal the day of

1653.

O. Cromwell.